“We can see spirits now,” Hudson reminded him.
Dave tilted his head. “Sadly, that was the only option that didn’t make your mate sound insane.”
I clenched my fists, and I swore I heard Dayna’s house rumbling with laughter.Rude.
“Where are all the girls?” Sebastian asked as he joined them.
I swung my thumb over my shoulder as I jogged up the steps. “Over there plotting my doom.”
“She means bachelorette party,” Hudson supplied.
“You knew? Traitor.”
“I did. It’s about time you let people pamper you a little.”
I pushed past them and into the house. “Would be fine if I had actually been proposed to,” I grumbled under my breath.
“What was that?” Hudson asked.
“Nothing, sweetheart,” I sing-songed as Lucifer came down the stairs, looking nervous. Why was the Devil nervous? Anyone? This could not be a good thing.
“He’s coming,” Lucifer whispered.
“He who? Be more specific. There are a lot of he’s happening around here, given all the women are over there plotting my demise.”
Lucifer frowned. “What?”
“She means bachelorette party,” Dave said as they joined us in the house. “She’s being dramatic.”
Lucifer pulled the cuffs of his suit jacket straight and checked his tie before eyeballing the now closed front door with a look of determination I’d never seen before. Harry suddenly appeared, looking six shades paler than usual. He opened his mouth, snapped it closed, then disappeared through the ceiling.
Dave and Hudson watched him go and then leveled me with a look. I shrugged.
A hush settled in the air, the clock froze, and the normal electrical buzz ceased, like we’d had a power cut. The hairs on my arms rose, and I fought the panic swirling inside my gut.
“What is that?” Dave muttered, glancing around.
I swallowed as a gentle rap sounded against my door.
Lucifer nodded at me. “You should answer, Cora.” My feet were as frozen as this house. I blinked. Lucifer gave me a little shove. “It’s never wise to keep Him waiting.”
I sucked in a breath and tried to remember my uncle’s little speech from earlier, reminding myself I was a force to be reckoned with. I glanced down at my worn jeans and washed-out sweater. Should I change? No, I didn’t want to present a lie.
My hands fisted, and I took the few steps to the front door while the men surrounding me stared. I opened the door and came face to face with the most revered being in the world. Should I bow? Curtsy? Genuflect?
He looked to be somewhere in his late forties, with dark shortish hair sporting a sprinkling of salt and pepper on the sides. He was clean-shaven, tall—but not extraordinarily so—and His sun-kissed skin looked like He’d come from a weekend in the tropics. He wore a pale gray T-shirt, which matched His eyes, and a pair of navy jeans with a well-known brand of white sneakers on his feet. I didn’t burst into flames, no fire rained from the sky, and the world appeared to keep turning.
He opened his arms. “Cora,” He said, His honeyed tone deep but warm.
I’m not really a hugger, but refusing Him wasn’t a choice. I stepped into His embrace and sighed as my heart settled. Tears pricked at my eyes. He held me for a few minutes and absorbed all my pain, worry, and doubt. He took it without judgment, without reservation, and with no demand for anything in return. I didn’t realize how much weight I was carrying until He unburdened me. He rubbed my back as He soothed my soul.
“Your mate is getting anxious, granddaughter. Should we go inside?”
My mate? Oh. I pulled myself away and swept the telltale water from my eyes before spinning around to face the three males waiting with gaping mouths. After we stepped inside, I closed the door and gathered myself.
“Father,” Lucifer said in a flat tone. But I heard the worry, the hidden need for His attention and praise. He smiled at my uncle and opened His arms again. Lucifer licked his bottom lip and stepped into them, and He winked at me over Lucifer’s shoulder.
“We have much to discuss, son, but for now, let’s start easy with Cora. No need to scare her off with all the family drama.”
